Nonpartisan Hacks

Joel Grenz and Sean Wood
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Hosted by two Parksville city councillors, Nonpartisan Hacks brings you behind the scenes of how government really works — without the spin, the shouting, or the partisanship. We dive into the practical, the absurd, and the oddly inspiring world of local government, while mixing in the occasional provincial and federal twist. Expect real talk about decision-making, budgets, bylaws, and political hot potatoes (with a helping of humour and honesty).

  1. MAR 7

    023

    What does it actually take to get something into a government budget? In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood go behind the scenes on Sean’s multi-year advocacy journey to increase the Volunteer First Responder Tax Credit — first at the federal level, then provincially in British Columbia. From jogging past the fire hall in Parksville to sitting in the legislature on budget day, it’s a story about persistence, relationships, and pulling every lever you can find. Plus: it's the show's first-ever video episode and there's a new way to pitch in. Joel's agency built GiverLever, a WordPress donation plugin for nonprofits, campaigns, and creators, and you can take it for a spin by supporting the podcast, or back a specific episode you think deserves more listeners by contributing directly on that episodes page on the website. Listen in for: How Sean took an idea from a failed federal campaign to two government budgets What budget day actually looks like inside the BC legislature, including the media “lockup” Why advocating from multiple channels at once is the key to getting things done The real cost difference between volunteer and paid fire departments — and why it matters for your property taxes How a casual conversation with the Minister of Finance at a UBCM reception fits into the bigger advocacy picture 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Wanna watch?

    27 min
  2. From Council Table to Caucus Room: Peter Milobar’s Governance Playbook

    FEB 21

    From Council Table to Caucus Room: Peter Milobar’s Governance Playbook

    20 Years of Lessons from Local Government to the Legislature In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops Centre and BC Conservative leadership candidate. Milobar's political résumé spans city councillor, three-term mayor, regional district chair, and provincial legislator — what Sean calls "a full political bingo card." The conversation covers what he learned managing a city through the 2008 financial crisis, why infrastructure funding has dried up, and how he got all 10 regional district projects funded when no one else could get one. Milobar also shares candid advice for anyone thinking of running for local office, explains why councillors shouldn't try to make it a full-time job, and makes the case that fixing a road has nothing to do with how you vote federally. Listen in for: How Milobar delivered infrastructure under the rate of inflation during the 2008 economic crisis The story of getting all 10 regional district projects funded by refusing to re-prioritize the list Why BC's $13.5 billion deficit concerns him as the province's finance critic His advice on what voters actually look for — and why single-issue candidates should reconsider Why councillors showing up with hedge trimmers creates more problems than it solves The case for staying in your lane at every level of government 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line. Episode keywords: Peter Milobar, BC Conservative leadership race, MLA Kamloops Centre, local government governance, BC provincial budget deficit, municipal infrastructure funding, running for local government, nonpartisan municipal politics, BC politics podcast, elected officials and staff relationships, civic engagement podcast

    46 min

  3. FEB 1

    Public Engagement Isn’t Broken, It’s Misunderstood

    Two city councillors break down how public hearings, emails, and civic engagement actually work Public hearings, council emails, Facebook rants — everyone has an opinion on how to make their voice heard in local government. But most people have no idea how any of it actually works from the other side of the table. Joel Grenz and Sean Wood — both three years into life as Parksville city councillors — break down what public engagement is actually for, what works, what doesn't, and why your strongly worded Facebook post probably isn't moving the needle the way you think it is. Listen in for: What public hearings are (and aren't) designed to do, including why council can't correct misinformation on the spot Why a personal email will always outperform a form letter The underrated power of just asking your councillor for coffee The uncomfortable truth about social media as a civic tool Why "being heard" and "getting your way" are two very different things — and why that's actually okay We're a representative democracy. That means we elect people to make tough calls on our behalf — even the unpopular ones. This episode is about understanding that system well enough to actually work within it. 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    38 min
  4. The Art of Mayoring with Nicole Minions

    JAN 16

    The Art of Mayoring with Nicole Minions

    What does it actually mean to be mayor? In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Mayor Nicole Minions of Comox to talk about leadership at the municipal level, and how governing really works when you move from being one vote at the table to chairing the meeting. Minions reflects on becoming mayor by acclamation in 2022 under extraordinary circumstances, what surprised her most about the role, and why “mayoring” is less about power and more about facilitation, decorum, and trust. From public hearings with hundreds of residents to regional collaboration across the Comox Valley, the conversation digs into the skills that separate functional councils from dysfunctional ones. Recorded in Sean’s kitchen (fresh bread included) the discussion ranges from core services and infrastructure financing to Bee City designations, asset management, working with opposition MLAs and MPs, and why most of the mayor’s real work happens far from the spotlight. Listen in for: What actually changes when you become mayor Why facilitation matters more than force at the council table How to run public hearings without letting them derail The difference between core services and the “extra” 10–20% that signals values Why good governance is often invisible until it fails 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    52 min
  5. How Citizens Can Get Big Things Done with Donna Hais

    JAN 9

    How Citizens Can Get Big Things Done with Donna Hais

    How do citizens turn frustration into outcomes, without picking a party or burning bridges? Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Donna Hais, longtime community leader, business executive, and chair of the Fair Care Alliance, to unpack how advocacy really works inside complex municipal, provincial, and federal systems. Recorded in Nanaimo, just steps from the regional hospital at the centre of Fair Care’s work, the conversation uses healthcare as a case study to explore something bigger: how communities organize, how governments actually hear messages, and why meaningful change only happens when voices are aligned across institutions. Hais draws on years of experience spanning chambers of commerce, port governance, hospital foundations, and grassroots advocacy to explain why isolated pressure fails, how to build credibility across political cycles, and what it takes to speak the language of government without becoming partisan. The discussion moves from relationship-building and message discipline to media strategy, professional risk, and why persistence, not outrage, moves billion-dollar decisions. 🎧 Listen in for: Why advocacy fails when it happens in isolation How grassroots organizations build one message across many institutions What it means to “speak government” without losing community values Why non-partisan advocacy lasts longer than election cycles The role of media, lobbying, and public pressure in sustaining momentum 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    26 min
  6. Out of the Blue with former Conservative Party of BC leader John Rustad

    12/21/2025

    Out of the Blue with former Conservative Party of BC leader John Rustad

    Lessons on leadership inside British Columbia politics after 20 years in the Legislature. Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with former Conservative Party of BC leader and longtime MLA John Rustad for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, governance, and the forces reshaping provincial politics. Rustad reflects on serving under multiple leaders, the rise and collapse of centre-right coalitions, and why he believes conviction matters more than triangulation in today’s polarized political landscape. From cabinet decision-making and the growing power of the premier’s office, to affordability, productivity, reconciliation, and the hollowing out of the middle class, Rustad offers his unfiltered reflections and thoughts on where he believes British Columbia has gone off track. 🎧 Listen in for: Rustad's leadership takeaways from Campbell to Eby The fall of the BC Liberals and the rise of the BC Conservatives Why affordability can’t be fixed without productivity and wage growth Rustad’s case for “economic reconciliation” and why the current approach is failing 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    1h 23m
  7. No Gavel Required: Running Meetings the Right Way with Tyler Brown

    12/08/2025

    No Gavel Required: Running Meetings the Right Way with Tyler Brown

    How does effective chairing turn a room full of strong opinions into real decisions? Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Nanaimo councillor and former Regional District of Nanaimo board chair Tyler Brown to unpack what it really takes to run meetings that work, keep a 19-member board aligned, and steer governance without theatrics, gavels, or power plays. Brown traces how Nanaimo moved from national-news dysfunction to a functional council, why “righting the ship” was only the beginning, and how the real work of a chair happens long before the meeting starts. He breaks down staff–council dynamics, the pressures elected officials actually face, and why healthy governance depends on clarity, preparation, and a steady hand. 🎧 Listen in for: Why meetings fail and the quiet work that prevents them from going sideways How to prepare for decisions when information is incomplete and emotions are high What effective chairs do behind the scenes to keep debates productive How councils can respect staff roles without surrendering decision-making Why public anger escalates and how to set ground rules that protect everyone’s voice Where B.C.’s Local Government Act falls short and why modernization matters for communities 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    1h 10m
  8. Shiny Objects v. Heavy Can: Reconciliation After the Cowichan Decision with Adam Olsen

    11/14/2025

    Shiny Objects v. Heavy Can: Reconciliation After the Cowichan Decision with Adam Olsen

    What happens when short-term politics collides with long-term obligations? Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with former MLA Adam Olsen to break down what the Cowichan Tribes decision actually means for British Columbia and why the province keeps deferring the same structural problems. The conversation traces the pattern: governments chasing headlines, grant cycles built for ribbon-cutting, and a land system held together by avoidance. Olsen lays out how exclusion shaped B.C.’s foundations, why litigation produces lose-lose outcomes, and what responsible negotiation should look like when title is already established in law. 🎧 Listen in for: How four-year (at most!) political cycles block long-term governance Why B.C.’s funding model for municipalities and First Nations is structurally unsound What the Cowichan ruling clarifies about title and why appeals won’t settle it What a depoliticized, whole-of-government approach to reconciliation requires 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform. Find all our episodes at nonpartisanhacks.com and drop us a line.

    1h 8m
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About

Hosted by two Parksville city councillors, Nonpartisan Hacks brings you behind the scenes of how government really works — without the spin, the shouting, or the partisanship. We dive into the practical, the absurd, and the oddly inspiring world of local government, while mixing in the occasional provincial and federal twist. Expect real talk about decision-making, budgets, bylaws, and political hot potatoes (with a helping of humour and honesty).

Information

  • Creator
    Joel Grenz and Sean Wood
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025-2026 Nonpartisan Hacks
  • Show Website
    Nonpartisan Hacks

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